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News Article

Iraqi Citizens Help Coalition Detain Suspects, Find Weapons

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24, 2004  An Iraqi citizen in Balad and a young boy in Samarra are the latest examples of Iraqis helping to rid their country of violence, U.S. military officials in Iraq reported today.

Military officials say that an Iraqi citizen provided information that led to the Nov. 23 capture near Balad of 12 individuals suspected of anti-Iraqi violence, including one wanted for manufacturing car bombs.

The individuals were detained after a raid by soldiers with the 1st Infantry Division and transported to a Multinational Force detention facility for questioning.

In an incident near Samarra Nov. 22, a young boy led coalition forces to an improvised explosive device.

Military officials said the boy came forward after soldiers with Task Force 1- 26 handed out fliers warning of IED danger . After U.S. soldiers had been distributing the flier for roughly 10 minutes, a local boy told the soldiers they could find weapons in an alley across the street.

The soldiers investigated and found one 155 mm artillery round and one 120 mm mortar round wired to an IED. The bomb was safely removed from the site.

Military officials said the incident is "great proof" that efforts by coalition forces to inform Iraqis about the dangers of IEDs are making a significant difference.

Elsewhere, an Iraqi National Guard soldier and an Iraqi civilian were killed and another soldier wounded in Kirkuk during an attack by anti-Iraqi forces at around 8 p.m. Nov. 23.

Military officials say the soldiers had stopped to help a civilian with his car, when gunmen drove by and shot them.

The wounded soldier was treated at a Kirkuk hospital and later evacuated by U.S. forces to a Multinational Force medical facility.

In other news, two men were detained for harassing an orphanage in eastern Baghdad Nov. 22. The men had with rods and sticks, and one was carrying a pistol at the time of arrest. Task Force Baghdad soldiers detained the men and turned them over to the Iraqi police.